Shloka 16

Pātāla-varṇana (Nārada’s Description of the Netherworld) / पातालवर्णनम्

Devanagari script

अक्षयाणि किलैतानि विवर्तन्ते सम मातले । अनुभावप्रयुक्तानि सुरैरवजितानि ह,देवसारथे! ये सारे अस्त्र-शस्त्र अक्षय हैं और प्रहार करनेपर शत्रुको आहत करके पुनः अपने स्वामीके हाथमें लौट आते हैं। पहले दैत्यलोग अपनी शक्तिके अनुसार इनका प्रयोग करते थे, परंतु अब देवताओंने इन्हें जीतकर अपने अधिकारमें कर लिया है

Transliteration

akṣayāṇi kilaitāni vivartante sma mātale | anubhāva-prayuktāni surair avajitāni ha deva-sārathe ||

Translation

ກັນວະ ກ່າວວ່າ: «ແທ້ແລ້ວ ໂອ ມາຕະລີ, ອາວຸດເຫຼົ່ານີ້ບໍ່ຮູ້ຈັກສິ້ນ. ເມື່ອຖືກໃຫ້ເຄື່ອນໄຫວດ້ວຍອຳນາດດັ່ງເດີມຂອງມັນ ມັນຈະຟັນຟາດສັດຕູໃຫ້ລົ້ມ ແລ້ວກັບຄືນສູ່ມືຂອງເຈົ້າຂອງທີ່ຖືກຕ້ອງ. ແຕ່ກ່ອນພວກດານະວະໃຊ້ມັນຕາມກຳລັງຂອງຕົນ; ແຕ່ບັດນີ້ເທວະດາໄດ້ຊະນະ ແລະນຳມັນມາຢູ່ໃນອຳນາດຂອງພວກເຂົາ, ໂອ ສາລະຖີແຫ່ງເທວະດາ»»។

Word by Word

• {'akṣayāṇi': 'imperishable, inexhaustible (weapons that do not perish or run out)', 'kila': 'indeed, it is said

• emphatic particle', 'etāni': 'these', 'vivartante sma': 'used to return/turn back (narrative past with sma)', 'mātale': 'O Mātali (vocative), Indra’s charioteer', 'anubhāva': 'inherent power, potency, efficacy', 'prayuktāni': 'employed, discharged, set in motion', 'suraiḥ': 'by the gods (Devas)', 'avajitāni': 'conquered, won over, brought under control', 'ha': 'indeed

• narrative particle', 'deva-sārathi': 'charioteer of the gods

Speaker

कण्व उवाच

Characters & Entities

• कण्व (Kaṇva)
• मातलि (Mātali)
• देवाः/सुराः (Devas)
• दैत्याः/दानवाः (Daityas/Dānavas)
• अस्त्र-शस्त्र (divine weapons)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Power is not merely possession but rightful control aligned with cosmic order: even extraordinary weapons are portrayed as returning to their legitimate master, and their transfer from Dānavas to Devas signals a moral-political shift toward divinely sanctioned authority.

What is happening in the narrative?

Kaṇva addresses Mātali and explains the nature of certain divine weapons: they are imperishable and, once discharged, strike the enemy and return to the wielder. He notes that these were once used by the Dānavas, but the Devas have since conquered and taken control of them.